There are up to 40,000 spectators per track, but the living touches in the environment don't end there. This little chap darts across the California Coastline track as you race. At present, it is possible to pass over him, although he doesn't seem to be solid so don't expect to see any real-time squirrel damage.
And, just in case the squirrel puts you off your line and makes you crash horribly, you can ues the returning Flashback feature to rewind the action to a save point and tackle the corner again.